ONLY ON ABC-7: Veteran Rep. O’Rourke mentions on ‘Ellen’ talks about senate race

Congressman Beto O’Rourke said on the Ellen Show Wednesday that his DWI arrest 20 years ago does not define him and that everyone deserves a second chance after making a mistake.

“It was a terrible mistake and there is no justifying that,” O’Rourke said, “that mistake did not define me.”

O’Rourke said he went on to create a business, start a family and serve his community. “I was able to go on and do these things. But I know, to some degree, that is a function of the fact that I am a white man in this country. If I was African-American and I had been arrested with marijuana, it could be very hard for me to get a job. I would not be able to finance my student loans and that could have narrowed my options,” O’Rourke said.

O’Rourke, running for U.S. Senate against Republican Ted Cruz, told Ellen he has visited every single county in Texas during his campaign. He said one of the questions he is most often asked is if he supports NFL players who are kneeling during the national anthem. The players said they are trying to raise awareness about what they perceive as social injustices against minorities.

I think you’ll be hearing a lot more from @BetoORourke. pic.twitter.com/Z0VPbOwvOq

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) September 5, 2018

Ellen even brought up the viral social media video in which O’Rourke is seen explaining why he supports NFL players. O’Rourke’s response gained widespread praise from athletes, celebrities and politicians across the country, including NBA superstar LeBron James. “I just gave the answer that came to my mind and I tried to be honest and that’s what came out,” O’Rourke told Ellen.

During his appearance on Ellen, O’Rourke mentioned El Paso veteran Bobby Rangel. “I was totally in shock, you know, I never expected that. And by the way, the first call I got was from my daughter in Dallas, Texas, from McKinney and she’s the one who called me,” Rangel told ABC-7.

The veteran told ABC-7 he disagrees with O’Rourke when it comes to the NFL protests, but still supports the senate candidate. “We’re good friends. I still support him. All the veterans still support him,” Rangel said.

When asked why he supports O’Rourke, Rangel said the candidate is “full of changes” for America and for Texas. “This gentleman does not sleep and he does not rest. He is pro-veterans. He has done so much for the veterans, It’s unbelievable.”

UTEP Political Scientist Dr. Richard Pineda said the appearance on Ellen is important for O’Rourke in terms of name recognition. “Even with the polls that have come out over the last month – they show a really narrow margin between Cruz and O’Rourke. There is one number that is surprising: the number of people that still don’t know who O’Rourke is,” Pineda told ABC-7.

Also important: more attention and more money. “At this point in the race, the reason that is important is because it means more money for the campaign,” Pineda said, “It will have some backlash, but in this case, I think it proves the axiom: any coverage is better than no coverage.”